In recent years, juice cleanses have surged in popularity as a way to "reset" the body, lose weight quickly, and adopt healthier eating habits. A juice cleanse involves consuming only fresh juices, water, and/or decaffeinated teas for a committed time, typically 3-5 days, abstaining from solid foods. Whether you're a wellness beginner, juice enthusiast, or health-focused home cook, this guide offers a safe and practical roadmap to cleansing. However, it's essential to understand the process, benefits, and potential risks before embarking on this journey.
What is a Juice Cleanse?
A juice cleanse is a short-term, fresh, raw, all-liquid diet used to assist one in achieving their health goals. The goal is to nourish, not deprive. A juice cleanse means you still receive plenty of sustenance but in the form of wholesome, organic freshly pressed veggie and fruit juice. Unlike a "juice fast," which implies starving the body, a cleanse aims to provide sustenance through nutrient-rich juices. The intention is to give your digestive system-including filtering organs like liver, kidneys, and gall bladder-a break from processing heavy proteins, fat, and other components of your diet that take a lot of work to sort out, giving you simply good, clean energy to work with.
Benefits of a Juice Cleanse
Many people report enhanced energy levels, clearer skin, reduced bloating, and a stronger mind-body connection during and after a short cleanse. After a juice cleanse, especially one that’s at least five days long, you should feel refreshed, energized, and focused. A juice cleanse for gut health in spring aids in digestion, boosts energy, and supports natural detoxification. It’s a gentle way to assist your liver and kidney detox using nutrient-dense produce like leafy greens, beets, lemons, and herbs. While research on long-term benefits is mixed, short-term juice cleanses can be effective for resetting unhealthy habits, improving hydration, and increasing your intake of raw fruits and vegetables.
How to Prepare for a Juice Cleanse
Pre-Cleanse Preparation
It is a good idea to prepare your body before a cleanse. To better absorb all nutrients and benefits, we recommend limiting as much processed food as you can 3-5 days before you start. Start flushing your body with fluids and clean up your diet for two days prior to your start date. Anything you can eliminate from your diet ahead of time will make it easier once your cleanse begins! If giving up wheat completely feels too drastic, try to stay away from refined starches like white bread, white rice, and pasta. This may sound like a lot to give up, but your body will thank you for it in the end!
Mental and Physical Preparation
Honor your Commitment to Self: Treat your Detox like a vacation. Plan to relax and detox mentally as well as physically.
Read also: Explore the pros and cons of fruit juice detoxes.
Hydration
Make an extra effort to hydrate throughout your day with non-carbonated water (at least two liters/day).
Transitioning to the Cleanse
Slow Down: Eat slowly with intention and chew your food thoroughly. Take the same time to drink your juices as you would a full meal. Remember to always chew your juice.
- To help purify your body before you begin your detox, begin each day with a glass of warm water with the juice of one lemon and a maximum of a half-teaspoon of cayenne (optional).
How to Do a Juice Cleanse at Home
Choosing Your Juices
Below are a series of raw, cold-pressed juices we recommend to help guide your juice cleanse. You can also build your own combination! It’s easy to make your own cleanse combinations! Just keep in mind you’ll need to consume at least six drinks per day. Choose from any of our pre-packaged cold-pressed juices of your liking. Quick and easy. Looking to keep your juice variety simple? Still not sure? Discounts! Order in bulk to get more juicy savings! Rewards! Earn points with every JuiceLand product you purchase in store! We suggest consuming at least 6 bottles of raw, cold-pressed juice per day, but if you need more-go for it! Just keep a balance of high fruit and high veggie juices.
Sample Juice Recipes
These cold-pressed juice recipes celebrate spring’s vibrant produce.
Read also: Juice Cleanse: Benefits and Risks
- Green Juice: Spinach, green apple, ginger, and lemon. A classic liver detoxifying juice.
- Carrot and Ginger Juice: Carrots, ginger, and lemon.
- Apple and Kale Juice: Apple, kale, celery, and cucumber.
- Beetroot and Berry Blast: Beetroot, strawberries, raspberries, and lemon.
- Citrus and Celery Juice: Orange, celery, and cucumber. A go-to in any organic juice cleanse.
- Pineapple and Spinach Juice: Pineapple, spinach, apple, and lemon.
- Watermelon Mint Juice: Watermelon, mint, and lime.
What to Expect During a Juice Cleanse
A juice cleanse is a liquid fast, during which you abstain from solid foods. Our juice cleanses are designed to replace meals and snacks. To ensure that your cleansing process is as effective and enjoyable as possible please make sure to drink plenty of water in between the juices.
Potential Side Effects
Everybody is different, but there are some typical side effects to a juice cleanse that are good to know about and be prepared for. For the first two or three days, detoxification is at its most drastic and noticeable, as the body adjusts to the new regimen. Feeling under the weather, having a headache, fatigue, and minor skin blemishes are all common symptoms of detoxification, and should be embraced!
Managing Low Energy
It is 100% normal and healthy to be tired when you cleanse, side effects can include a healthy bit of lethargy. If you can swing it, allow your body to go through this process and chillax, for optimum results. We suggest lying down flat on your back for at least 20 minutes a day while cleansing. Your body will thank you. Keep in mind that all stimulants tax the liver and adrenals. Taxing your liver while doing a juice cleanse is like taking a shower with a raincoat on! To each his own though… in case you do need to power through a project during your cleanse and need a boost of energy, your immediate options are freshly brewed mate (aka yerba mate) and green tea. Other substances that actually improve your energy by supporting better health include e3 live, ginseng, coconut water, ashwagandha, moringa, adrenal blend tinctures, holy basil (aka tulsi), wheatgrass, and gynostemma.
Addressing Hunger
Feeling peckish? If you have to eat raw veggies here or there, we won’t tell. Are you constantly thing of food or dying for something to chew? Try eating a piece of raw fruit or vegetable. For example nibble on a carrot stick or banana slices.
Importance of Hydration
To ensure that your cleansing process is as effective and enjoyable as possible please make sure to drink plenty of water in between the juices. Keep hydrating - Drink at least eight glasses of non-carbonated water in addition to your juices and elixirs. Herbal decaffeinated teas are a great option as well.
Read also: Renal Diet Guide: Navigating Orange Juice Consumption
Rest and Relaxation
Get plenty of rest - A cleanse can be tiring. Keep your schedule as light as possible and try to get to bed early! Listen to your body. It will tell you when to slow down and take it easy. Take a nap!
Supporting Detoxification
During a cleanse, your body releases accumulated toxins that may have built up for years. It is important to eliminate the toxins that are being released from your system during the cleansing process. A few ways to help release toxins:
- Colonics or enemas are an optimal way to maintain a healthy colon, the body’s main channel for eliminating waste.
- Exfoliate and sweat! Both help to open pores, get rid of dead skin cells, and stimulate the lymphatic system.
- Dry skin brushes are a fantastic way to support the skin and release toxins during a cleanse (3-5 minutes before a shower, bath, sauna, or steam).
- Take a sauna! Infrared saunas especially are excellent for assisting in detoxification.
- Get outside! Take a walk, get into nature and get some fresh air into those lungs.
- Please remember to take it slow during your cleanse. Treat yourself to a massage, sauna, or simply take a hot bath with epsom salt. Be positive and smile.
Can You Drink Coffee?
Yes, you can drink coffee! We know no coffee is often a deal-breaker. Good thing coffee’s a go!
Raw Snacks
Feeling peckish? If you have to eat raw veggies here or there, we won’t tell.
Exercise During Cleanse
Sure thing, jellybean. But take it easy-no marathons or anything. A juice cleanse should be respected as its own physical event. In general, if you plan to exercise, save a sweeter juice for immediately afterward.
Supplement Intake
Most supplements don’t digest that well in absence of solid foods, and some individuals even report a stomach ache after taking supplements on a cleanse. For these reasons, we don’t really suggest taking them for the short period of time you’re cleansing. The fresh juice found in your cleanse is made from pounds and pounds of fruit and vegetables and loaded with vitamins and minerals. If you take supplements during your cleanse, it is recommended that they be food-based. On an extended cleanse, you may opt to supplement with D3 and B12.
Finishing All Juices
That’s okay! Everyone is different and it really is amazing how filling juice can actually be. You are not disrupting your cleanse in any way by not finishing all of your juices.
Post-Cleanse Transition
You are still in a detox mode when you exit a cleanse, so try to be mindful of what you put into your system. As you come out of your cleanse, make sure to drink plenty of water and pace yourself as you slowly reintroduce simple organic whole foods. As you come out of your cleanse, make sure to drink plenty of water and pace yourself as you slowly reintroduce simple organic whole foods. We recommend starting with salads, smoothies, soups, and juices, and avoiding processed foods and animal products. Post-Cleanse Transition: Reintroduce solids gradually-start with fruit, steamed veggies, and whole grains.
Important Considerations
Safety
If you have food allergies, check our ingredients for each product, and, of course, let us know-we might share prep space with things you’re allergic to. If you have any doubts, consult your doctor or other health care provider first.
When to Avoid Cleansing
It is not recommended to do a juice cleanse during pregnancy or while nursing.
Juice Storage
Make sure to refrigerate your juices as soon as possible! Because our juices are unpasteurized, it is essential that you start your cleanse the day that it arrives. When you’re committing to a five-day juice cleanse, freshness is everything. Freshly made juice is at its most nutritious and flavorful within the first 72 hours, so how you store it can make or break your cleanse. One way to keep your juices as fresh as possible is by choosing the right storage containers.
Order of Consumption
A common question on the first day of the cleanse is: what order do I drink these in? Our recommendations is listed below, don’t be afraid to break the rules. This is YOUR cleanse after all! Remember to always chew your juice.
Potential Risks and Downsides
- Loss of Fiber: When fruits and vegetables are juiced, the fiber-rich pulp is typically discarded. Fiber plays a crucial role in digestion, helps regulate blood sugar levels, and promotes feelings of fullness. Without fiber, the sugars in juice are more rapidly absorbed by your body, which can lead to blood sugar spikes.
- Risks can include dizziness, dehydration (which is why you should drink a lot of water), headaches (usually associated with lack of caffeine), skin irritations (usually waste being detoxed through the skin), and possible digestive issues.
- Juice cleanses load your body up with sugar, which is anything but detoxifying,” says Dr. Robbins. “Plus, all that sugar causes your blood pressure to spike and then rapidly drop, which can give you a burst of energy but then leave you feeling even more tired, as well as interfere with how your body uses insulin.”
Juicing for Weight Management
Unless you are also limiting calories, juicing will not directly lead to weight loss; however, juices can provide nutrients that are important for a balanced diet. Some people may be concerned that the sugar in juice can cause weight gain. When enjoyed in moderation, 100% juice without any added sugars may be a healthful part of your weight management plan. In contrast, the added sugars often found in processed foods and beverages can lack the beneficial nutrients and fiber that accompany natural sugars in fruits and vegetables. A registered dietitian can help create an individualized plan that’s right for you.
The Nutritional Benefits of Juicing
Juices made from fruits or vegetables can be high in vitamins and minerals (micronutrients). A published review found that fruit juices provided micronutrients at similar levels to those of whole fruits (but with less fiber, compared to the whole fruit alternative). This review paper found that fruit and vegetable juices may have cardiovascular health benefits, including lowering blood pressure and improving lipid levels. Researchers looked at studies conducted on a variety of juices, including pomegranate, guava, cherry, grape, and beetroot. Mixtures of juices were found to be the most beneficial, likely due to the variety of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that come from different fruits and vegetables. While juice typically contains less fiber than whole fruits, prune juice can actually be a good way to get a concentrated dose of fiber. Eight ounces of prune juice provides almost 3 grams of fiber!
The Importance of Cold-Pressed Juices
Cold-pressed juicing uses hydraulic pressure to extract juice, preserving more nutrients and enzymes than traditional centrifugal juicing. This method produces higher-quality juices ideal for a 5-day detox cleanse, maximizing nutritional intake throughout your organic juice detox.